MiG-27 crashes after take-off, pilot safe

In the first crash involving an Indian Air Force aircraft this year, a MiG-27 ground attack fighter crashed shortly after taking off from the Hashimara air base in North Bengal on Thursday. The pilot, Wing Commander J Singh, managed to safely eject from the aircraft and there was no damage to civil property at the crash site.

An IAF spokesperson said that a court of inquiry has been ordered to investigate the reasons behind the crash. The Air Force operates five squadrons of the ground attack fighter and has had no known problems with the aircraft.

The MiG-27 fleet was inducted in the late 1980s and is expected to serve for several more years with a significant amount of its flight life still intact. The single-engined, swept wing fighter also has a very good safety record.